Page 6 - DMEA Week 11 2023

DMEA POLICY & SECURITY DMEA

Iran and Saudi Arabia seal

deal on restoring relations

brokered by China

IRAN THE Middle East’s arch Gulf rivals Iran and in Iraq or with intermediation conducted by
Saudi Arabia on March 10 unexpectedly Oman. What’s more, there has been friction in
announced they have agreed to restore ties and recent months between the Iranians and Sau-
reopen embassies following four days of talks in dis as they have jostled for position in winning
Beijing brokered by China. favour with China. To Iran, China has become
Tehran and Riyadh severed relations seven extremely important economically since the US
years ago. The breaking of the deadlock between four years ago began its campaign to drive Ira-
the two big oil producers will have analysts nian oil exports off world markets. The Chinese
assessing what impact the new relations could have continued to buy substantial volumes of
have on prospects for reviving the 2015 nuclear crude from Iran, working on the shadow market.
deal, or JCPOA, between Iran and the major The Saudis, naturally, remain preoccupied
powers, and on the war in Yemen involving with the issue of how to guarantee that Iran
Iranian and Saudi proxies. The new ties could does not move into the military sphere with its
also have a bearing on how events now unfold nuclear development programme. The JCPOA,
in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, strife-torn countries under which Iran introduced verifiable curbs
where the rivalry between largely Shia Iran and on the programme in return for the dropping of
Sunni Saudi Arabia is a big factor.. economic sanctions, was seen to be delivering
Reporting the deal to set aside differences in on that objective prior to former US president
favour of diplomatic relations, official Iranian Donald Trump unilaterally pulling Washington
state news agency IRNA cited a joint statement, out of the multilateral agreement in May 2018
reading: “As a result of the talks, Iran and Saudi in favour of deploying the heaviest sanctions yet
Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations faced by Tehran.
and reopen embassies … within two months.” However, in the years since the US exit from
The Saudi Press Agency confirmed the the deal, Iran has gradually upped its enrichment
agreement. It said the two countries had agreed of uranium to the point that the Americans say
to respect state sovereignty and not interfere in that, should Tehran take a decision to do so, it
each other’s internal affairs. Riyadh broke off ties could assemble enough weapons-grade fissile
with Tehran after Iranian protesters attacked material for a nuclear bomb within 12 days.
Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in 2016 fol- After the deal on relations was announced in
lowing the Saudi execution of the Shia cleric the Chinese capital, the US cautiously welcomed
Nimr al-Nimr. the agreement. White House National Security
Nour News, a media outlet linked to Iran’s Council spokesman John Kirby said the admin-
supreme national security council, ran footage istration supported “any effort to de-escalate ten-
of Ali Shamkhani, the council’s secretary, at a sions in the [Middle East] region”. But he added:
Beijing signing ceremony with Saudi Arabia’s “It really does remain to be seen if Iran is going
national security adviser Musaed bin Moham- to meet their obligations.”
med Al-Aiban and China’s top diplomat, Wang Israel did not comment.
Yi. “After implementing the decision, the foreign After speaking in London earlier this week,
ministers of both nations will meet to prepare the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Far-
for exchange of ambassadors,” Iranian state TV han al-Saud, was reported by the Guardian as
reported. saying he did not think the Saudis would have
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign any additional demands as regards Iran’s civil
minister, said: “The return of normal relations nuclear programme than those presently out-
between Iran and Saudi Arabia provides great lined by the West, while adding: “I believe we
capacities to the two countries, the region and can when we are at the table make it quite clear
the Islamic world. The neighbourhood policy, as to the Iranians that this is not just a concern of
the key axis of the government’s foreign policy, distant countries, but it’s also a concern of its
is strongly moving in the right direction, and neighbours. Those neighbours would move into
the diplomatic apparatus is actively behind the seeking better normal relations. So if we make
preparation of more regional steps.” clear that this is part of reassuring us, I think that
The sealing of the deal in Beijing took observ- may help them find it more acceptable to engage
ers by surprise. Talks between Iran and Saudi in such a process.”
Arabia have continued for years, but mainly One thing to Saudi Arabia’s advantage when

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